MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'david'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:55:59 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181899&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F31%2F3-fascinating-facts-about-our-brilliant-brains%2F Our brains do a lot of work behind the scenes to help us function and thrive. But we largely know this already. What might surprise you are the details of this work. For instance, as neuroscientist David Eagleman writes in his book Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain: Your brain is built of cells called neurons and glia—hundreds of billions of them. Each one of these cells is as complicated as a city. And each one contains the entire human genome and traffics billions of molecules in intricate economies. Each cell sends electrical pulses to other cells, up to hundred of times per second. If you represented each of these trillions and trillions of pulses in your brain by a single photon of light, the combined output would be blinding. The cells are connected to one another in a netw... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181899 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:57:59 +0100 5181899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182324&cid=t_123908_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FJLYJ6oSGdcE%2F Should one of the states that was involved in the investigation into Purdue Pharma and its notorious OxyContin painkiller withhold documents used to prosecute the drugmaker and three current and former executives? The question will be the subject of a hearing tomorrow in Massachusetts, where state Attorney General Martha Coakley has refused to release reams of pertinent paperwork. At issue are countless documents that were compiled by the US Department of Justice, which charged Purdue and execs with misbranding - they facilitated improper use of the drug and misled patients, regulators and doctors about addictive risks. All totaled, $634 million in fines were paid, and the execs were barred from doing business with federal healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid (back story). Th... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182324 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:35:40 +0100 5182324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181909&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F26967248%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EThe-Rivalry-in-Your-Customers-Brain.htm Decisions aren't linear conclusions - they are often a battle of competing interests in the consumer's brain. Marketers need to identify some of these rivals and back a winner with their advertising. CommentsThanks Roger! Neuromarketing has definitely given us a greater ... by Joy LevinInteresting insight, nalts. One could argue that the “save ... by Roger DooleyPlus 3 more...Related StoriesIncognito by David EaglemanSales Secret: The Best Time to CloseWhat’s Better Than an Excited Customer? (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181909 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:49:37 +0100 5181909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174667&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F28%2Fthe-curious-case-of-phineas-gage-and-others-like-him%2F If you’ve ever taken an introductory psychology class, then you probably know the story of Phineas Gage, the 25-year-old railroad worker whose personality dramatically changed after a rod pierced his skull. Gage lost portions of his frontal lobe and went from being a kind and mild-mannered man to rude and unrestrained. On September 21, 1848, The Boston Post reported on the incident. The article was called “Horrible Accident” and said: As Phineas P. Gage, a foreman on the railroad in Cavendish, was yesterday engaged in tamping for a blast, the powder exploded, carrying an instrument through his head an inch in length, which he was using at the time. The iron entered on the side of his face, shattering the upper jaw, and passing back of the left eye, and out at the top of the head.... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174667 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:17:17 +0100 5174667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169545&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdo-physicians-have-a-role-in-controlling-healthcare-costs%2F2011.08.27 The Role of Physicians in Controlling Medical Care Costs and Reducing Waste by the RAND Corporation and David Geffen, University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, Santa Monica was just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).  I do not think the JAMA should have published this article. 1.Why would the JAMA publish such an article? 2. Why are physicians blamed for all the waste in the system? 3. Why is it the physicians’ responsibility to eliminate waste when they are not the cause of the greatest percentage of the waste? “The amount of money spent on medical care is increasing faster than the gross domestic product (GDP), and the federal deficit is increasing.” The initial statement assumes that the government deficit is increasing because phy... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169545 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 21:05:19 +0100 5169545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159214&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F26858236%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EIncognito-by-David-Eagleman.htm Book Review: Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman Incognito is a look inside our heads: Eagleman, a neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine, looks at various aspects of how our brains work and how those functions manifest themselves in our behavior. In one chapter, he looks at our senses and how [...] CommentsSweet, I was looking for a new read, might check this one out! ... by David BrainsRelated StoriesNudge by Thaler and SunsteinThe Upside of Irrationality by Dan ArielyWhat Don Corleone Could Learn from Guy Kawasaki (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159214 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:57:55 +0100 5159214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139736&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-physician-ratings-arent-quite-adequate-yet%2F2011.08.17 “Most physicians are competent and able to take care of most of the problems patients present with.  The standards for getting into medical school are high and for getting out are higher.  I think this call for patients to become experts in picking their doctors is overstated.”  – David Rovner, MD, Professor Emeritus, Michigan State University Most?  What does “most” mean?  Can most doctors treat me for the flu?  How about pancreatic cancer? Must I conduct the same type of research to choose a doctor to set my broken arm that I do to find one to treat my mom’s congestive heart failure?   Is the same level and type of research necessary to find a good surgeon as for a primary care clinician? (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Prepared Pat... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139736 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:00:37 +0100 5139736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159028&cid=t_123908_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4704%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Duniversity-of-westminster-shuts-down-naturopathy-nutritional-therapy-but-keeps-acupuncture-and-herbal-medicine There’s been no official announcement, but four more of Westminster’s courses in junk medicine have quietly closed. For entry in 2011 they offer University of Westminster (W50) qualification Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture (B343) 3FT Hon BSc Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture with Foundation (B341) 4FT/5FT Hon BSc/MSci Complementary Medicine (B255) 3FT Hon BSc Complementary Medicine (B301) 4FT Hon MHSci Complementary Medicine: Naturopathy (B391) 3FT Hon BSc Herbal Medicine (B342) 3FT Hon BSc Herbal Medicine with Foundation Year (B340) 4FT/5FT Hon BSc/MSci Nutritional Therapy (B400) 3FT Hon BSc   But for entry in 2012 University of Westminster (W50) qualification Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture&... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159028 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:43:52 +0100 5159028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139895&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F16%2Fthe-cause-of-rioting-thats-easy-rioters%2F British Prime Minister David Cameron attributed the recent riots in his to “the slow-motion moral collapse that has taken place in parts of our country these past few generations.”   The message may seem vaguely situationist at first blush, as Cameron emphasizes the problem of a “broken society.” But what he really seems to care about are the bad “choices” made by selfish, irresponsible individuals. Cameron’s comments resemble remarks he’s made in the past.  In 2008, according to one account, he declared that “people who are fat, poor or addicted to drugs could only have themselves to blame.” It’s a one-size-fits-all ideology:  If you have problems, look in the mirror! To be fair, Cameron does acknowledge one situational... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139895 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:42:14 +0100 5139895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130734&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FC8uOd_7qKvg%2F By Jim HarperOfficials in London are looking everywhere but the mirror for places to affix blame for the recent riots. Beyond the immediate-term answer, individual rioters themselves, the target of choice seems to be “social media.” Prime Minister David Cameron is considering banning Facebook, Twitter, and Blackberry Messenger to disable people from organizing themselves or reporting the locations and activity of the police. Nevermind substantive grievance. Nevermind speech rights. We’ve got scapegoats to find! [Events like this are nothing but a vessel into which analysts pour their ideological preconceptions, so here's a sip of mine: Just like a spoiled child doesn't grow up to be a gracious and kind adult, a population sugar-fed on entitlements doesn't become a meek an... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130734 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:45:47 +0100 5130734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125814&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F11%2F14405%2F From The Atlantic (by David Eagleman): On the steamy first day of August 1966, Charles Whitman took an elevator to the top floor of the University of Texas Tower in Austin. The 25-year-old climbed the stairs to the observation deck, lugging with him a footlocker full of guns and ammunition. At the top, he killed a receptionist with the butt of his rifle. Two families of tourists came up the stairwell; he shot at them at point-blank range. Then he began to fire indiscriminately from the deck at people below. The first woman he shot was pregnant. As her boyfriend knelt to help her, Whitman shot him as well. He shot pedestrians in the street and an ambulance driver who came to rescue them. The evening before, Whitman had sat at his typewriter and composed a suicide note: I don’t really unde... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125814 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 03:03:41 +0100 5125814 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118924&cid=t_123908_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F11%2Fgene-transfer-therapy-destroys-tumors-in-chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia-patients-holds-promise-for-ovarian-cancer%2F Penn researchers have shown sustained remissions of up to a year among a small group of advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients treated with genetically engineered versions of their own T-cells. This genetically-modified “serial killer” T-cell approach could provide a tumor-attack roadmap for the treatment of lung and ovarian cancer, myeloma and melanoma as well. [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118924 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:11:37 +0100 5118924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103336&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-care-attorney-discusses-the-use-of-disclaimers-on-facebook-pages%2F2011.08.06 This is the third part of a three part post addressing the legal concerns of social networking in the health care arena. In part one, legal expert David Harlow, Esq., Health Care Attorney and Consultant at The Harlow Group, LLC in Boston, answered questions regarding “The Legal Implications for Doctors, Nurses and Hospitals Engaging in Social Media?” In part two, Mr. Harlow answered questions related to the Pharma industry;  “Legal Concerns: What Steps can Pharma Take to Engage in Social Media?” The third part addresses a question from a follower on Facebook about the use of disclaimers. Q:  Barbara: A Healthin30 reader on Facebook writes:  “I’m looking for a good disclaimer to put on a couple of medical practices’ Facebook pages. The AMA social media guidelines aren’t h... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103336 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 21:00:47 +0100 5103336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103465&cid=t_123908_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FUbM1bw625nU%2F Healthy eating isn’t a numbers game. Ingredients trump calories, in my book. Choose natural nourishment over diet snacks. —David Kirsch, as tweeted earlier today Related posts: Star Power: Can These Top Celebrity Trainers Get You Into Shape? Motivational Mantra: Oprah Winfrey Says Finishing Marathons Is Better Than Winning Emmys Motivational Mantra: Trudie Styler Says You’ve Got One Body, So Give It Some Yoga Post from: Blisstree (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103465 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:49:06 +0100 5103465 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5094816&cid=t_123908_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2F1fw6w28v_7s%2F Thirty years ago this month I did an experiment that set the course of my career, and provided an important step forward for animal virology. I showed that a cloned DNA copy of the poliovirus RNA genome is infectious in mammalian cells. When I arrived as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of David Baltimore in 1979, the restrictions placed on cloning complete genomes from pathogenic viruses in bacterial plasmid vectors had just been lifted. Consequently David suggested that I construct a full-length DNA copy of the poliovirus RNA genome, decode the genetic information, and determine if the DNA is infectious. By the fall of 1980 I had produced three different plasmids which contained overlapping DNA copies of poliovirus RNA. For most of the next year I worked on deciphering the complet... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5094816 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:33:58 +0100 5094816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5078035&cid=t_123908_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FJg53Nv1VI4Q%2F For those curious as to what went down before Jeff Kindler unexpectedly resigned last December as the Pfizer ceo, a new treatise in Fortune magazine offers a behind-the-scenes look at the political infighting, overblown aspirations and inept calculations that contributed to his demise, as well as a decade of disappointment and a few spectacular failures at the big drugmaker. For Kindler, the end came in a plain vanilla Florida airport conference room where he was confronted by three board members, who - after probing a steady stream of confidential reports that his managerial style was overbearing, his behavior was increasingly erratic and his judgment was questionable - decided he must go. Essentially, he was given an ultimatum - with a lot of money. The moment capped a tumultuous few yea... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5078035 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:27:38 +0100 5078035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077816&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2011%2F07%2F27%2Femr-and-meaningful-use-books%2F I must admit that I’m not much of a book guy. Especially since there’s so much free information available on the internet about just about any subject you could want. However, I’ve been quite intrigued by the number of healthcare IT related books that I’ve seen coming out of late. Here’s a quick roundup of some of the ones I’ve seen. Getting to Meaningful Use and Beyond: A Guide for IT Staff in Health Care by Fred Trotter and David Uhlman – I’ve been a big fan of Fred Trotter for a while. So, I’m glad he’s working on this book. Turns out the book isn’t even published, but in Fred Trotter open source style fashion, the book is available for free online right now. Of course, they’re hoping you’ll provide feedback. ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077816 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:46:01 +0100 5077816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050816&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Ffunding-issues-are-here-stay Got money worries? Join the club! We’re not trying to be (too) flip, but that essentially sums up our take on a recent presentation by David W. Roberts, MPA, vice president of government relations for HIMSS, at the 20th Annual Physician-Computer Connection Symposium sponsored by the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050816 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:06:04 +0100 5050816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050574&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmore-bad-news-about-the-obesity-epidemic-in-america%2F2011.07.22 A report released recently by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health issued some grim warnings about the current and future state of the U.S.’s obesity epidemic. Bluntly titled “F is for fat: How obesity threatens America’s future 2011,” the report found that obesity rates rose in 16 states since 2010 and that more than 30% of people are obese in 12 states, compared with one state just four years ago. The South is still the worst-faring region—nine out of 10 states with the highest obesity rates are located there. The report compared today’s data with data from 20 years ago, when no state’s obesity rate exceeded 15%. Now, only one state—Colorado—has a rate below 20%. The report also points out that d... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050574 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:00:00 +0100 5050574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062325&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fneil%2F2011%2F07%2F21%2Fwhat-will-happen-to-google-health-data-after-2012%2F Let’s face it, I haven’t actually been nice to Google of late when it comes to healthcare (or maybe I have, just once). While I believe the criticisms are justified, I can see why some people might think I’m beating a dead horse, namely Google Health. But there are some unresolved questions in the area of privacy that Google really should answer. Google’s ill-fated attempt at a PHR isn’t completely dead. The company won’t “retire” the online service until January, and will allow users to download their data through Jan. 1, 2013. Naturally, others have stepped up to try to fill the (tiny) void left by Google Health’s demise. To nobody’s surprise, Microsoft is helping the remarkably small number of Google Health users transition the... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062325 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:45:59 +0100 5062325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050577&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fresearch-investigates-a-percutaneous-option-for-aortic-valve-replacement%2F2011.07.21 To ensure rational and responsible dissemination of this new technology (transcatheter aortic valve replacement [TAVR]), government, industry and medicine will need to work in harmony.” - David R. Holmes, Jr., MD, FACC President, American College of Cardiology Today, Edwards Lifesciences’ will request pre-market approval of its SAPIEN Transcatheter Heart Valve from the FDA’s Circulatory Systems Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee. And for the first time, the groundwork for our complicated new era of health care rationing will be exposed. To win an expensive technology on behalf of patients these days, there will have to be “harmony” between doctors and their professional organizations and government regulators. If not, patients lose. At issue is a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050577 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:00:00 +0100 5050577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050582&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-are-humans-so-drawn-to-sunlight-despite-its-negative-consequences%2F2011.07.20 It doesn’t make sense: If sunlight causes cancer, why are human beings so drawn to it, flocking to sunny beaches for vacation time and hoping for sunshine after a rainy spell? One answer, says David Fisher, chief of dermatology at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, may be that humans are literally addicted to sunshine so our skin can make vitamin D. New evidence suggests that we get the same kick out of being in the sun that we get from any addictive substance or behavior. It stimulates the so-called “pleasure center” in the brain and releases a rush of feel-good chemicals like endorphins. So there may be more than a desire to look good in a tan behind the urge to soak up the sun’s rays. This craving may be a survival mechanism that evolved over thousands ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050582 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:00:34 +0100 5050582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036279&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F15%2Fsport-psychology-and-its-history%2F My boyfriend, an avid golfer, always says that golf is mainly a game of the brain. That is, your mental state has a lot to do with your success on the course. And, not surprisingly, it’s like that with other sports. Psychology can give players an edge. As Ludy Benjamin and David Baker write in From Séance to Science: A History of the Profession of Psychology in America, “Indeed, in so many instances when physical talents seem evenly matched, it is the mental factors that will make the difference in winning or losing.” That’s where sport psychology — also sometimes referred to as sports psychology — comes in. So how did sport psychology start and evolve? Early Experiments In America, sport psychology’s roots date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries when se... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036279 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:35:35 +0100 5036279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028450&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F14%2Fgratitude-for-the-canadian-healthcare-system-from-an-american-patient%2F “…our challenge is twofold: We have to find a way to cover all our people; and we have to figure out how to get better value for the US$2 trillion we currently spend on healthcare.” – David M. Cutler, Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics at Harvard University and Member of the Institute of Medicine -commenting on the US healthcare system. Last month I was invited to speak for a week for The International Certificate Programme in Dual Diagnosis associated with Brock University under the guidance of Dr. Dorothy Griffiths & Dr. Frances Owen. Work I’ve developed over the past several years on psychotherapy for people with intellectual disabilities has been implemented in the States and most of the countries with socialized medicine.  The Canadians have a real fl... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028450 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:34:58 +0100 5028450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028573&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fradiology-needs-reassert-their-it-leadership Radiology groups and imaging centers have been on the leading technology edge for many years. The leadership principles of radiology CEOs and CIOs shine in how they approach: Documenting and streamlining workflows Selecting and implementing technology to enable the workflows Measuring the results and focusing on how to continue to enhance the workflows read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028573 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:50:18 +0100 5028573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008448&cid=t_123908_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2Fhed47dbhD2g%2Fdavid-eagleman-on-the-secret-lives-of-the-brain-bsp-75.html In his new book Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain neuroscientist David Eagleman describes consciousness as "the smallest player in the operations of the brain" (page 5) because most of what the brain does is outside conscious awareness (and control). In a recent interview (BSP 75) Dr. Eagleman reviews some of the evidence for this startling position as well as the implications both for the average person and for social policy.   Listen to Episode 75 Episode Transcript (Download PDF) References: Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman Eagleman, D. "The Brain on Trial," the Atlantic Monthy; July/Aug 2011 ONLINE See Transcript for additional references Related Episodes of BSP: BSP 13: Our first discussion of unconscious decisions BSP 15: Interview with Read ... the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008448 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:01:01 +0100 5008448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008205&cid=t_123908_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2F3S8wYPz7964%2F Insights from the podcast PE/ PERC wars that are raging on the web as a result of the clash of two New York titans on EMCrit... (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008205 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:12:58 +0100 5008205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008325&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F05%2Fwhitey-bulgers-situation%2F From Northeastern News: Notorious Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger — who eluded authorities for more than 16 years — is accused of murdering 19 people. Here, David DeSteno, associate professor of psychology at Northeastern University, who studies the role of emotion in social cognition and social behavior, assesses the mind of crime figures like Bulger and those who exalt them as heroes. What drives immoral behavior? We cannot assume that Whitey Bulger, Anthony Weiner, or other “fallen” individuals were flawed from the start. After all, Whitey’s brother, William Bulger, was raised in the same environment but followed a different trajectory; he ended up becoming the president of the University of Massachusetts. 
The answer, then, to what makes someone &... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008325 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 01:49:36 +0100 5008325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008718&cid=t_123908_180_f&fid=38604&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmakeitgreat%2F%7E3%2FdMhP8NPgYE4%2F Recently I finished the book Relationships Made Easy for the Business Professional by Dr. David Fraser, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much about relationships I learned. I enjoyed the book greatly, and I’ll tell you why if you keep reading. Let’s start with the cover: The cover of the book is super fun, with a whole bunch of smiling stress balls staring at you. Honestly, that’s the reason I agreed to take this as a review book: it looked like something fun to read and that could de-stress my life. Only after agreeing did I realize the book was about relationships, not about stress and being more happy, though honestly, after reading this book, I am more happy. I love people, and any book that can teach me to be better with people is a book that can make me happy. This is just... Phil Gerbyshak blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008718 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:01:00 +0100 5008718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992656&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FBcvfvdOFEAU%2F By Christopher PrebleProps to Grover Cleveland at Pileus for his short but perceptive take on David Greenberg’s op-ed in yesterday’s New York Times. Cleveland places the piece in the “Not Worth a Read” category and asks: Hasn’t this kind of simplistic “history” and inaccurate categorization of today’s critics of liberal internationalism/neoconservatism been written about a million times already?  And aren’t these types of pieces really just rhetorical bullying to prevent a serious discussion of American foreign policy? Answer: Yes, and yes. And Cleveland is hardly the first to make this observation. (e.g. here, here, and here)   As with other writers who have crawled out of the woodwork recently to write about isolationism (so-called), Greenberg is sure that it&... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992656 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:46:11 +0100 4992656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992781&cid=t_123908_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F07%2Ftoday-is-doctors-day-so-what.html This is an article which I wrote for Times Wellness for Doctor's Day.---------------------------There used to be a time when the doctor was a highly regarded member of society. Doctors were treated as trusted professionals who could be counted upon to provide wise counsel in times of sickness.Sadly, times have changed. Doctors are now looked upon as mercenaries who run a business and are out to make a quick buck, often at the expense of the patient. The doctor has been knocked off his pedestal and part of the reason for this is because patients have unrealistic expectations from medical technology. They assume that there is a pill for every ill – and they jump to the conclusion that if the patient does not improve, this means the doctor was negligent.Doctors are also to blame for this sa... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992781 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 06:18:00 +0100 4992781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984736&cid=t_123908_180_f&fid=38619&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FALifeCoachsBlog%2F%7E3%2Fy1UI9JgG6sU%2F You probably think it’s a bit odd me throwing my best self development and Life Coaching books of 2011 at you with half the year to go, right? I guess it is, but I thought as it’s holiday time and people are heading off on vacations it would be cool to share with you 4 brilliant must read books that you’ll want to pack along with your Bermuda shorts, sombrero and stuffed donkey when Continue reading... (Source: Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone :) Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone : blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984736 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:38:57 +0100 4984736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159032&cid=t_123908_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4562%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dhalf-baked-nonsense-in-the-atlantic Jump to follow-up Reply to David Katz. The Atlantic is an American magazine founded (as The Atlantic Monthly) in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It is a literary and cultural magazine with a very distinguished history. Its contributors include Mark Twain and Martin Luther King. So it was pretty exciting to be asked to write something for it, even with a 12 hour deadline. Sadly though, in recent years, the coverage of science in The Atlantic has been less than good The inimitable David Gorski has explained the problem in Blatant pro-alternative medicine propaganda in The Atlantic. The immediate cause of the kerfuffle was the publication of an article, The Triumph of New-Age Medicine. It was written by a journalist, David Freedman. It is very long and really not very good. It has been decon... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159032 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:38:18 +0100 5159032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159033&cid=t_123908_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4541%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dfreedom-of-information-reveals-some-unusual-testimonials-for-the-university-of-westminster-when-will-professor-geoffrey-petts-do-something-about-it Jump to follow-up Universities, like most businesses, cite glowing testimonials from grateful students, I doubt whether universities are any more honest than anyone else in their choice of what to publish. When I asked to see any letters that had been sent to the university, I was sent only one and extracts from it appear in the last post on Westminster. More dangerous nonsense from the University of Westminster: when will Professor Geoffrey Petts do something about it? But I knew (don’t ask how) that there had been more than that, and a slightly widened FOIA request produced some interesting results (though I’m aware of other letters that were not supplied -not good). As always, the information came with the caveat "Copyright in our response to your request belongs to ... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159033 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 08:50:30 +0100 5159033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911455&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKqSbv2XRftU%2F By Caleb O. Brown On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down bans on interracial marriage in more than a dozen states in the case of Loving v. Virginia. Today, the highest court in the United States may soon take on the issue of marriage equality for gay and lesbian relationships. Attorneys David Boies and Theodore B. Olson are hoping the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger will further establish marriage as a fundamental right of citizenship. Also featured are John Podesta, President of the Center for American Progress, Cato Institute Chairman Robert A. Levy and Cato Executive Vice President David Boaz. Watch the full event from which many clips were pulled here and Robert A. Levy’s presentation here. The Constitutional Case for Marriage Equality is a post from Cato @ Liberty ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911455 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:52:04 +0100 4911455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911733&cid=t_123908_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FoTZ05KZU-dk%2F Tonight, the David Lynch Foundation and Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation launched Operation Warrior Wellness – New York City, a program that offers Transcendental Meditation to veterans who suffer PTSD. The event was star-studded – Donna Karan and David Lynch were accompanied by Russell Simmons and a video from Martin Scorcese – but it was also full of moving testimonials from veterans who’ve benefited from meditation, as well as doctors and researchers who testified to the effectiveness of TM for relieving stress and anxiety. Statistics say that one in seven recent marines and soldiers suffer from PTSD; the foundation seeks to relieve the severe mental and physical effects. If you’re not familiar with transcendental meditation and how it can help PTSD, one ve... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911733 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 01:16:45 +0100 4911733 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902679&cid=t_123908_147_f&fid=39273&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2F5a-g09FML7k%2Freal-costs-of-social-media.html We all know social media is not free. David Fleet recently posted a very informative infographic compiled from the expertise of multiple organizations to illuminate the true costs of social media. The graphic expounds on the hidden costs of social media campaigns including staff costs, advertising consultant fees, platform creation and apps. The costs on the low end total up to about 200,000 on average for a small operation and increase exponentially from there depending on staff size and involvement in the space. But not to worry, the article goes on to praise the impacts that social media can have on a campaign including engagement, brand awareness and overall reach. ePharma Summit West is your opportunity to hear from the guru’s of social media in the pharmaceutical industry and fi... ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902679 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 19:05:00 +0100 4902679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902484&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F06%2Fidentifying-and-avoiding-contaminated-mindware%2F Broadly speaking, there are two key problems that contribute to irrational thoughts and behaviors: processing problems and content problems. The processing problem is reflected in our tendencies to be cognitive misers.  We naturally engage in thinking that is rapid and computationally inexpensive.  This cognitive thriftiness often serves us well, but at other times it can lead to less than optimal decisions.  Content problems include- mindware gaps, and mindware contamination. Mindware (a term invented by cognitive scientist David Perkins) is defined as rules, procedures and other forms of knowledge that are stored in memory and can be retrieved in order to make decisions and solve problems (Stanovich, 2009). A mindware gap occurs when the tools of rationality — scientific think... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902484 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:08:04 +0100 4902484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893918&cid=t_123908_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FNdbXFKyzx54%2F Earlier this month, an odd and controversial episode involving a Canadian drugmaker once known as Biovail finally drew to a close. Eugene Melnyk, whose tenure as chairman of Biovail was marked by turmoil and controvery, agreed to sanctions imposed by Canadian securities regulators as a result of misleading disclosures following a 2003 traffic accident involving a shipment of meds. Earlier this year, Biovail, which is now owned by Valeant Pharmaceuticals, agreed to settle a similar lawsuit brought by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, which accused Melnyk and the drugmaker of repeatedly overstating earnings and hiding losses to meet earnings forecasts. And Melnyk agreed to a five-year ban as a director or officer of a public company in the US, and paid $150,000 in fines (back story)... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893918 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:16:19 +0100 4893918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902526&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhitech-revises-hipaa-regulations HIPAA regulations long on the books require that covered entities (i.e. health care providers, payors and clearinghouses) provide patients with accounting of disclosures of their protected health information (PHI) for any purpose other than treatment, payment or health care operations (TPO). The HITECH Act upped the ante, requiring accounting of disclosures of PHI for TPO as well. Regs implementing this requirement were to be keyed off of the meaningful use regs, and they have now arrived. No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902526 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:39:45 +0100 4902526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883686&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F31%2Fdavid-eagleman-on-the-brain-and-the-law%2F From theRSAorg: Dr David Eagleman considers some questions relating to law and neuroscience, challenging long-held assumptions in criminality and punishment and predicting a radical new future for the legal system. [Eagleman's examples in the first 15 minutes will  strike long-term readers of The Situationist as non-novel.  For others, that portion of the video may be a useful primer to neurolaw.] Related Situationist Posts: Dan Dennett at Harvard Law on “Free Will, Responsibility, and the Brain” “Interview with Professor Joshua Greene,” “Daniel Dennett on the Situation of our Brain,” “Dan Dennett on our Interior Situation,” “Bargh and Baumeister and the Free Will Debate,” “Bargh and Baumeister and the Free Will Debate – Part II,” “The Death of Fre... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883686 Tue, 31 May 2011 04:01:56 +0100 4883686 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159035&cid=t_123908_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4422%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dwilletts-private-university-in-trouble-private-eye-explains Jump to follow-up We live under a highly ideological government. It wishes to privatise everything in sight, not least universities and the National Health Service. Of course they don’t put it that way: they call it “reform”. It’s easier to deal with open ideology than with ideology disguised as social reform, but luckily a 10-year old could see through the weasel words. One example is the raising of tuition fees to £9,000 pa. It costs the taxpayers more than charging £3,000 did. Students obviously lose, and universities probably lose too. It takes a very blind form of ideology to devise a system in which all three parties lose money, for the sake of a principle. No doubt Education Minister David Willetts was moved by the same ideological considerations... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159035 Sat, 28 May 2011 10:47:25 +0100 5159035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4853089&cid=t_123908_133_f&fid=35098&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclub166.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fmissing-important-social-clues.html Photo credit-topgoldCreative Commons LicenseOne of the hallmarks of autism that is often cited is that autistics tend to miss important social clues. I must admit that this is something that we see often with our son, Buddy Boy (though he has made great strides in carving out "his own way" of initiating interactions).Most people think that if they see someone that "doesn't get" typical social clues, that that must mean that that person is autistic. Well, not necessarily.Take David Geier, for instance.As the whole world now knows, David's dad, Mark Geier, had an emergency suspension of his right to practice medicine recently, due to the medical board catching up with his totally off the wall (and dangerous) antics in "treating" autistic patients. As was patently clear from complaint against... Club 166 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4853089 Mon, 23 May 2011 03:09:00 +0100 4853089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852940&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F22%2Fam-i-a-defensive-pessimist%2F Photo credit: vrogy (Flickr) This blog post, I’m convinced, will be a real disaster. I mean, just think of all the things that could possibly go wrong! If I post it at the wrong time of day, no one will read it. If I don’t write with super-engaging language and in a clever tone, potential readers will bypass my post for something else on the internet that’s far more exciting. Oh, and I’ll probably (unknowingly!) insert a blatant typo that my eyes refuse to notice — even after several rounds of proofreeding. Or proofreading. Yeah, that second one. I’ve painted a pretty gloomy picture there, haven’t I? It feels a little awkward to admit that I’m a pessimist. The world really seems to be riding the wave of optimism these days, at least as far as... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852940 Sun, 22 May 2011 22:14:59 +0100 4852940 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847960&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F05%2F19%2Fuk-paediatrician-and-msbp-expert-knew-babies-suffered-breathing-problems-and-died-after-vaccination%2F Over the last two years I have seen two documentaries both entitled ‘A Very Dangerous Doctor’. Both featured the work and research of the now discredited Professor David Southall. It has puzzled me how these documentaries failed to mention the crucial evidence of Lisa Blakemore-Brown and instead both chose to focus their attention on the work and evidence of Munchausen by Proxy campaigner and Southall hater Ms Penny Mellor. Ms Blakemore-Brown began to speak out about this incredibly dangerous man back in 1995/1996 long before Penny Mellor had even been heard of. However, instead of the fame and glory that has been lavished on Ms Mellor, Blakemore-Brown has had to endure many attempts to destroy her career, victimization and ridicule. I believe the key reason behind the attempts... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847960 Thu, 19 May 2011 17:45:11 +0100 4847960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794845&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLtTVgl6snHg%2F By Michael F. CannonYesterday, I reluctantly dinged House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) for veering off-message after bravely introducing and winning House passage of badly needed Medicare reforms.  Each said ill-advised things to the media that undermined the long-term goal of Medicare reform.  I even emailed some colleagues, “Why can’t they stay on-message, as they have with ObamaCare?” As if on cue, it appears that House Ways & Means Committee chairman David Camp (R-MI) may have outdone both Cantor and Ryan.  Huffington Post reports that Camp used the word “dead” to describe the effort to repeal ObamaCare. I know, I know, he probably only meant that repeal is dead in this Congress.  Yes, yes,... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794845 Fri, 06 May 2011 15:19:27 +0100 4794845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789208&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWBu8A6aiGns%2F By Justin LoganAP Photo/David Guttenfelder There are not going to be many better opportunities to change course in Afghanistan than the one presented by the killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad. It may be worth highlighting how ripe an opportunity this is: The politics on the Hill are changing. It probably comes as no surprise that Reps. Walter Jones (R-NC) and Jim McGovern (D-MA) would like to end the Afghanistan war, but their “Afghanistan Exit and Accountability Act” has brought on co-sponsors like Tea Party stalwarts Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Justin Amash (R-MI). This means that in the days and weeks to come, there will be Republicans on television and radio making the case for withdrawal. That could have a profound effect on where the debate goes from here. On t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789208 Thu, 05 May 2011 18:12:45 +0100 4789208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775406&cid=t_123908_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2Fmaterial-world-part2-220307.mp3 One of my first posts about nonsense taught in universities was about the University of Westminster (April 2008): Westminster University BSc: “amethysts emit high yin energy”. since then, there have been several more revelations. Jump to follow-up Professor Petts The vice-cnancellor of Westminster, Professor Geoffrey Petts, with whom the buck stops, did have an internal review but its report was all hot air and no action resulted (see A letter to the Times, and Progress at Westminster). That earned Professor Petts an appearence in Private Eye Crystal balls. Professor Petts in Private Eye (and it earned me an invitation to a Private Eye lunch, along with Francis Wheen, Charlie Booker, Ken Livingstone . . ). It also earned Petts an appearence in the Guardian (The opposite of... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775406 Tue, 03 May 2011 08:10:00 +0100 4775406 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4771314&cid=t_123908_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2F_G5BZP98ESw%2F This makes sense if you think about it. Many word processors and text editors are out there now that are geared to the person writing a novel or a screen play — actually I think there are about three programs as well as any number of Word templates that are geared to screenwriters alone. There’s just this pernicious belief that if you have a certain writing program, that it will automatically make you a better writer. The books will just pour out of you and all of your problems will be solved. They won’t be solved, but they will be forgotten about temporarily while you move your story texts into the new program and get everything formatted just so, and fill out the little character templates and the little location templates. But then you won’t be getting any new writin... white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4771314 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 20:01:35 +0100 4771314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803147&cid=t_123908_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2Fu8rhHD9ghkU%2F Is your frivolity stomach near empty? Well, its time to fill it up with a funtab-packed FFFF sandwich! (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803147 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:21:15 +0100 4803147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762747&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4D2pubWPm0Q%2F By Justin LoganToday in Politico I have an op-ed titled “How Washington changed Obama.” In the piece, I argue that the recent appointments of Leon Panetta as secretary of defense and Gen. David Petraeus as director of the CIA, combined with revelations in the recent New Yorker article by Ryan Lizza, suggest that President Obama has given up on changing U.S. foreign and defense policy: Panetta is a dubious choice to fulfill Obama’s recent pledge to trim military spending. Any secretary charged with realizing that pledge would need extraordinary credibility with Capitol Hill Republicans, many of whom are determined to continue raining money on the Pentagon regardless of the nation’s parlous fiscal position. Despite having once been a Republican, Panetta ran for Congress as Democr... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762747 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:04:31 +0100 4762747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758819&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Ffailure-information-exchange As part of its response to the PCAST report, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) charged a review committee to analyze the PCAST recommendations. The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) called for greatly accelerated health information exchange and development of an increased focus on population health objectives. The report also recommended technologies for a Universal Exchange Language (UEL), Data Element Access Services (DEAS) and granular access controls. No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758819 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:41:25 +0100 4758819 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758739&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FUzDsC43VEhQ%2F By Christopher PrebleThe report that Leon Panetta will be appointed Secretary of Defense, and Gen. David Petraeus will become the new CIA director, does not come as a huge surprise. But I worry that President Obama’s decision to fill these positions from within his administration signals an unwillingness to rethink U.S. foreign policy. Such a reevaluation is desperately needed. Leon Panetta brings some experience in national security affairs to DoD, including his stints at CIA and on Capitol Hill, and as a member of the Iraq Study Group. His more relevant experience, however, may be as Director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Clinton administration. Bob Gates effectively shielded the Pentagon from spending cuts, but that merely postponed the reckoning that Panetta ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758739 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:04:46 +0100 4758739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758787&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F27%2F8-reasons-why-waiting-in-line-drives-us-crazy%2F I’m a very impatient person, and standing in a slow-moving line is one of those very small, maddening aspects of life that drives me crazy. As often happens, however, when I learned more about the experience, it became more interesting to me. I happened to read a paper by David Maister, The Psychology of Waiting Lines. The piece is aimed at people who operate stores, restaurants, doctors’ offices, and other places where people fuss about being kept waiting. Of course, most of us are the ones standing in line, not the ones controlling the line, but I was fascinated by getting this insight into my own psychology. Maister’s main point is that the actual time we’re waiting may have little relationship to how long that wait feels. Two minutes can pass in a flash, or two ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758787 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:49:52 +0100 4758787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4744813&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fdavid-j-rothman-president-of-institute.html In one of the most bizarre statements I've ever seen from Ivy academia, David J. Rothman, president of the Institute on Medicine as a Profession at Columbia University disdains -- hates -- Dr. Marcus Welby, and blames solo practitioners for rising medical costs and medical errors for good measure.Such statements lead me to increasingly believe true scholarship no longer resides at the Ivy universities.A New York Times article today "Family Physician Can’t Give Away Solo Practice" about a hard working solo practitioner and former president of the Maryland State Medical Society, Dr. Ronald Sroka, laments the passing of the small practice and solo practitioners. The small practices and solos are being replaced by physician groups, often employed by a hospital or at a larger for-profit medic... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4744813 Sat, 23 Apr 2011 15:38:00 +0100 4744813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734204&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F21%2Fi-am-the-most-important-person-you-know%2F I am not a narcissist, but I am the most important person you know. When I’m talking to you. When you read an essay or article of mine. When you’re in a meeting with me. When you’re sharing a meal or a drink with me. In olden days — like 10 years ago — we would call this “attention.” We would say, “Oh, look, you’re paying attention to what I’m writing” or “It’s nice of you to pay attention when I’m talking.” And yes, I know how important your social network is to your fragile ego, your delicate self-esteem. That you need to understand and be reassured that nothing more important is going on in your world. That you’re not going to dump me in mid-conversation for a potentially better conversation ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734204 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:39:20 +0100 4734204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723944&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F17%2Fa-general-theory-of-love-part-2-the-science-of-attraction%2F “When love is not madness, it is not love.” ~Pedro Calderon de la Barca “Love must be as much a light, as it is a flame.” ~Henry David Thoreau “Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.” ~Zora Neale Hurston To be loved means being free to be yourself in the presence of another person.  It is the mutuality of this experience that we each crave.  Somehow we know when it is near, and ache when it is lost. We have all had it: the look, the feeling, and the sense of awe in the presence of the person we are attracted to.  But is it more than just the infusion of the catecholamine neurotransmitter, dopamine, or the mammalian hormone oxytocin? Yes. You most likely know that the limbic system is the seat of emotions and it regulates the type, degre... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723944 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 15:50:10 +0100 4723944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723910&cid=t_123908_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Ffive-feisty-science-books-on-davids-desk.html Five super science books landed on my desk during the last week or two, everything from a Haynes manual for the Space Shuttle to hacking life and from astrobiology to the discovery of Lucy by way of the fact of evolution. The Fact of Evolution – Opponents of evolution are wont to say it's "just" a theory, as if that somehow implies it's a fiction or not proven. Scientists often dislike talking in plain or making absolute, definitive statements. But, science writers and some scientists really don't mind telling it like it is. Forget the wishy-washy word "theory" with its non-scientific baggage, this is the Fact of Evolution. The onus is on opponents to prove otherwise by coming up with evidence for their own "theory". Biopunk: DIY Scientis... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723910 Sat, 16 Apr 2011 16:00:33 +0100 4723910 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4719959&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fmostasharis-onc-wont-be-easy-run-blumenthals Farzad Mostashari, the newly-appointed and fourth leader of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is going to face some stiff challenges his predescessor David Blumenthal did not have to face. No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4719959 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:53:06 +0100 4719959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714725&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJEepNZs3JeA%2F By David RittgersThe Wall Street Journal law blog has a piece up on how the budget crisis is impacting public defenders: Funding constraints have prompted states and counties to lay off public defenders, hold the line on salaries, and reduce the amount defenders can spend case investigators and staff training, the WSJ reports. Public defenders maintain that they should be insulated from budget cuts for two reasons, the first being that they were sorely underfunded before the recession came along.  Secondly, they point to the fact that states have a duty, enshrined in Gideon v. Wainwright, to provide indigent criminal defendants with the right to counsel. Stephen J. Schulhofer and David Friedman recently published a Cato Policy Analysis, Reforming Indigent Defense that proposes a free mark... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714725 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 16:29:23 +0100 4714725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709191&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHNuexYBc_74%2F By Edward H. CraneBrad Thompson’s excellent new book, Neoconservatism: An Obituary for an Idea, adroitly dissects this pernicious political philosophy.  He has received some criticism for attempting to demonstrate that Leo Strauss, the philosophical godfather of so many neocons, had a certain sympathy with fascism.  Indeed, while stating that he is not saying neoconservatives have fascist designs, Thompson does suggest that their philosophy could pave the way to a kind of “soft fascism.”  Far be it from me to pass judgment on such academic debate, but it is interesting to consider the following from the noted neocon columnist for the New York Times, David Brooks, writing in that paper on March 10: Citizenship, after all, is built on an awareness that we are not all that special bu... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709191 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:09:54 +0100 4709191 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704566&cid=t_123908_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fdr-david-classen-discusses-hospital-errors-protect%2F Dr. David Classen lists nine hospital errors that may be preventable if you know what and when to ask. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704566 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 03:03:37 +0100 4704566 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696712&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FnZFN64nSeww%2F It’s been a full decade since the Institute of Medicine published the second volume in its landmark series on patient safety and quality of care, Crossing the Quality Chasm. We appear to be not much closer to achieving a high-quality health system as we were 10 years ago. Last week, as you may have already heard, a paper in Health Affairs from researchers at the University of Utah concluded that adverse events may be 10 times more prevalent than previously believed and that errors may occur in an astounding one-third of all hospital admissions. The research team, which included such luminaries as Dr. David Classen, Dr. Brent James and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement‘s Frank Federico, also said that there estimates probably were on the conservative side. Patient-safety ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696712 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 21:07:53 +0100 4696712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693353&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FoUdTkjhGhb4%2F Farzad Mostashari, M.D. has been named the new national coordinator for health IT, effective today. Though HHS has not put out a press release or other statement, it appears this is a permanent rather than an interim appointment. I had been hearing since February that Mostashari, who previously was deputy national coordinator, would be in charge of ONC at least on an interim basis when David Blumenthal, M.D., returned to Harvard. UPDATE, 3:25 p.m. CDT: The appointment is permanent. You can find this and more details in the story I wrote for InformationWeek today. Related posts:Blumenthal named national coordinator Poll for new national coordinator is rather laughable Kolodner named interim HIT coordinator (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693353 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:43:20 +0100 4693353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676759&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPRR-dcLfDqA%2F By Malou InnocentGeneral David Petraeus, the head of American forces in Afghanistan, has emphasized the importance of winning the "hearts and minds" of Afghans by treating them and their culture with respect. Pentagon officials may want to reexamine that assumption, but not for the reason you might think. Evangelical pastor Terry Jones, author of the book Islam Is of the Devil and head of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, two weeks ago carried through on his promise to "stand up" to Islam and burn a Quran. In response, crowds demonstrated in cities across Afghanistan, with a mob in the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif storming a United Nations compound, killing eight non-American aid workers and beheading two of them. The message from the protests is cle... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676759 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:52:36 +0100 4676759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676765&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6P-uydf45mM%2F By Daniel J. MitchellA new study from the Adam Smith Institute in the United Kingdom provides overwhelming evidence that class-warfare tax policy is grossly misguided and self-destructive. The authors examine the likely impact of the 10-percentage point increase in the top income tax rate, which was imposed as an election-year stunt by former prime minister Gordon Brown and then kept in place by his feckless successor, David Cameron. They find that boosting the top tax rate to 50 percent will slow economic performance. And because of both macroeconomic and microeconomic responses, tax revenues over the next 10 years are likely to drop by the equivalent of more than $550 billion. Here's a key paragraph from the executive summary of the new study. The country is suffering from a 50%-­plus ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676765 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 13:15:59 +0100 4676765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670078&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fcommon-sense-on-side-effects-lacking-in.html At my Mar. 27, 2011 post "Those Who Dismiss Healthcare (and Healthcare IT) Adverse Events Reports as Mere "Anecdotes" Have Lost - Supreme Court-Style" I wrote that the SCOTUS decided in MATRIXX INITIATIVES, INC., ET AL. v. SIRACUSANO ET AL. (link to PDF) that:... We conclude that the materiality of adverse event reports cannot be reduced to a bright-line rule ... Because adverse reports can take many forms, assessing their materiality is a fact-specific inquiry, requiring consideration of their source, content, and context.Wall Street Journal author and "Numbers Guy" Carl Bialik adds to that point in an article today "Making a Stat Less Significant" where he writes:To determine whether a medical side effect is significant in an experiment requires knowing that every incidence of that side ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670078 Sat, 02 Apr 2011 12:47:00 +0100 4670078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670173&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F01%2F33-favorite-self-help-books-of-psychologists%2F Since the response was good from my post on 15 quotes that motivate and inspire that I pulled from LinkedIn group, The Psychology Network, I joined a few weeks ago, I thought I’d publish their recommendation for good self-help books, too. Since most of them are mental health professionals (unlike me, who just pretends she is), their list lends credibility and might be a good one to review every now and then either for yourself or in your work with patients. 1. Freedom From the Ties That Bind: The Secret of Self Liberation by Guy Finley 
 2. I Ain’t Much Baby, But I’m All I’ve Got by Jess Lair, Ph.D. 3. The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, Fourth Edition 
by Edmund J. Bourne 

 4. Women with Attention Deficit Disorder: Embrace Your Differences and Transform Yo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670173 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:34:35 +0100 4670173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670092&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4FnzF_Gc8-c%2F By Daniel J. MitchellLondon was just hit by heavy riots as part of a protest against the "deep" and "savage" budget cuts of the Cameron government. This is not the first time the UK has endured riots. The welfare lobby, bureaucrats, and other recipients of taxpayer largesse are becoming increasingly agitated that their gravy train may be derailed. The vast majority of protesters have been peaceful, but some hooligans took the opportunity to wreak havoc. These nihilists apparently call themselves anarchists, but are too ignorant to understand the giant disconnect of adopting that title while at the same time rioting for bigger government and more redistribution. My anarcho-capitalist friends must be embarrassed by the potential linkage with these hooligans. Speaking of rage, Paul Krugman is... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670092 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:20:09 +0100 4670092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664230&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.me.com%2Ftomasulo1%2FDanTomasulo.com%2FAppearances___Contact_files%2FDavid_Harp_DanDuetEtc_3-11.mov “I play the harmonica.  The only way I can play is if I get my car going really fast and stick it out the window.” ~Stephen Wright “Live as if you were to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you were to live forever.” ~Mahatma Gandhi David Harp is the Rosetta Stone of the harmonica.  He has taught over a million people how to play, and holds the world’s record for teaching the most people to play at one time (2,569).  How does he do it? Mindfulness.  Because that’s what he’s really interested in… If you’re like me you probably have at least one, if not two cheap harmonicas lying in the bottom of your closet or in the back of a drawer someplace.  When you see them you take them out of the box, lick your lips, wail unskillfully until you’re out of breath,... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664230 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:00:11 +0100 4664230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658363&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FnqJ1fuLjTRo%2F By Michael F. CannonA couple of people have asked me about a comment David Rivkin made at Cato's recent conference on the first anniversary of ObamaCare. Rivkin is representing the 26 states suing to overturn ObamaCare in Florida v. HHS, the case in which a federal judge declared ObamaCare unconstitutional and void. In his most recent ruling in that case, Judge Roger Vinson allowed the Obama administration to keep implementing and enforcing the law, in part because the fact that most of the plaintiff states are also implementing the law "undercut" their request that he stop the Obama administration from doing so.  I (and others) have been urging states to follow the lead of Republican governors Rick Scott (FL), Sean Parnell (AK), and Bobby Jindal (LA) by refusing and returning all Obama ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658363 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:55:00 +0100 4658363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642786&cid=t_123908_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2Fv5ts6KjHKBk%2F These are my links for March 28th from 09:30 to 13:45: Did the left blow its cover on the war on the Kochs? – As I have reported, the left has mounted a full-throated attack on David and Charles Koch, the billionaire libertarian brothers who give to pro-free-market causes that the left abhors. As odd as it may seem, the left imagines that it can discredit the Tea Party movement or dissuade the Kochs from participating in the political process by making them into the newest bogeymen (Rush Limbaugh is apparently so 2009 in the left playbook.) But you have to wonder whether,aside from the screwy notion that voters care about the left’s conspiracy theories ( how well did the slams on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce work in the 2010 midterms?), the war on the Koch brothers is backfiri... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642786 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:00:12 +0100 4642786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642789&cid=t_123908_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2Fl48sZo5xdWo%2F These are my links for March 28th from 09:23 to 09:27: Bioenergy Crop Company Plants Its Flag in India – Super Green Biofuels Inc., which aims to make fuel from the inedible seed of the Jatropha plant, says it is expanding its operation into India. Better known as SG Biofuels, the company has amassed a huge library of DNA and genome information about Jatropha, so it can design hybrid seeds to best fit the land, sun and growing patterns of different areas. “Our expansion into India marks a significant milestone for the company as we continue to expand our commercialization efforts,” SG Biofuels Chief Executive Officer Kirk Haney said. “Our ability to quickly develop and scale productive Jatropha plantations using elite, high performing material will play a significa... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642789 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:00:04 +0100 4642789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636413&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F1dImHb3owjo%2F By Gene HealyRecently, I've been blogging over at the Washington Examiner's lively "Beltway Confidential" site, mostly on the subject of congressional war powers and President Obama's Libyan adventure. Today's post, "Obama Makes 'Kinetic Military Action' on the English Language" has a little fun with the administration's wordgames and the legal rationales behind them. Other posts and a column on the subject are here, here, and here. Today also brings a pair of columns--in the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, respectively--from conservative luminaries defending the notion that Obama has the constitutional power to bomb Libya without congressional authorization. Yoo, the legal architect of George W. Bush's Terror Presidency, chides Tea Party Republicans like Jason Chaffetz of Uta... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636413 Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:31:45 +0100 4636413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636621&cid=t_123908_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F25%2Ftherapeutic-response-to-the-angiogenesis-inhibitor-sunitinib-in-ovarian-clear-cell-cancer%2F A group of international researchers reported sustained responses in two ovarian clear cell cancer (OCCC) patients with chemotherapy-resistant disease, who were treated with the anti-angiogenesis inhibitor sunitinib (Sutent®). The researchers emphasize the growing realization that OCCC is molecularly and clinically distinct as compared to other forms of ovarian cancer, and note significant common scientific characteristics [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636621 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 22:57:20 +0100 4636621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636523&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthit.hhs.gov%2Fportal%2Fserver.pt%2Fdocument%2F954074%2Ffederal_hit_strategic_plan_public_comment_period The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology today opened a four-week comment period on proposed revisions to the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan (pdf). Last updated in 2008, the plan spells out ONC’s strategy for meeting national health IT goals for the five-year period beginning in 2011. The HITECH Act requires this revision. According to a blog post by national coordinator Dr. David Blumenthal: Some components of the Plan may already be familiar, including the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs and the grant programs created by the HITECH Act, which are creating an infrastructure to support meaningful use. However, the Plan also charts new ground for the federal health IT agenda: In Goal I, the health information exchang... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636523 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:29:28 +0100 4636523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615081&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMS8NpV5DC1U%2F By George Scoville "The New Health Care Law: What a Difference a Year Makes," featuring a keynote address from constitutional attorney and counsel in Florida v. HHS David Rivkin, and panels including economist and former CBO director Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Cato director of health policy Michael F. Cannon and vice president for legal affairs Roger Pilon, and many more, begins at 1pm Eastern today. Please join us as we stream the event at our new live events hub, or watch on Facebook. If you prefer television, the forum will be broadcast live on C-SPAN 2. "The next time gun-control advocates point to violence in Mexico and call for more restrictions on gun sales or a revived assault-weapons ban, they should consider that the problem may not be with the laws on the books, but with those who enf... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615081 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:46:35 +0100 4615081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615428&cid=t_123908_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FaXhygiyVd34%2F The scandal over a consulting arrangement between Medco Health Solutions, the big pharmacy benefits manager, and a former board member at CaLPERS, the nation’s largest pension fund, is widening now that the US Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a subpoena to Medco seeking more information about consulting fees and other aspects of the relationship. The subpoena was disclosed late last week in an SEC filing by Medco (see this) and several days after CaLPERS released the results of a specially commissioned investigation indicating that Medco ceo David Snow was implicated in the consulting arrangement, according to the 75-page report (look here). At issue was the interplay between Medco and former CaLPERS board member Al Villalobos, who was paid more than $4 million as a Med... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615428 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:40:52 +0100 4615428 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600795&cid=t_123908_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FfXx2YtVF-qo%2F More clinical trials may be run overseas, but work has not dried up in the US. In fact, a robust Phase I industry continues, but there are concerns since many volunteers supplement their incomes by enrolling in trials as often as possible. Consequently, sponsors and investigators worry data will be skewed by people who enroll too soon after participating in other trials. Patient advocates, meanwhile, worry about the risks participants may face from exposure to some meds and follow-up care. And so once again, the notion of a national Phase I clinical trial registry is being raised. The latest call for action comes from a pair of physicians who published a commentary piece this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In their view, a registry is long overdue in the US in ord... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600795 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:01:29 +0100 4600795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592360&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FV43-r6AbKQI%2F By Mark A. CalabriaThe Washington Post is reporting that current Federal Housing Administration (FHA) head David Stevens, who only last week announced he was leaving FHA, is going to be the new head of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). When Stevens was first nominated to head FHA, I have to admit I was concerned.  FHA has a long history of prioritizing the interests of the mortgage industry over that of the taxpayer.  And here was a guy right out of the real estate industry (former Freddie Mac exec).  My expectations weren't exactly high.  Maybe because of that, I've been largely impressed.  As FHA Commissioner, Stevens has taken eliminating fraud seriously, as well as avoiding a taxpayer bailout of FHA (so far). All that said, it is hard to imagine that in under a week's time, ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592360 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:22:09 +0100 4592360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592500&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fneed-ehr-best-practices-lessons-learned-validated Health Affairs published results of an analysis of 154 recent studies on the implementation of health IT. The conclusion: 92 percent of the studies found health IT to be beneficial to patient care. Researchers at ONC, which conducted the peer review and included outgoing national coordinator David Blumenthal, MD, also found areas that need attention. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592500 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:09:14 +0100 4592500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570607&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2Fci3mKyd-Tpc%2F Leave it to those in the ivory tower of Modern Healthcare to screw up something as simple as an unscientific poll about who should be the next national coordinator for health IT.  The poll lists a whopping two dozen names, ranging from the obvious—Dr. John Halamka, Dr. Paul Tang, current deputy national coordinator Dr. Farzad Mostashari—to the dark horse—Dr. Robert Hitchcock of T-System, Paula Gregory of the “Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicince” (sic)—and even a few laughable listings. For one thing, Dr. David Brailer is on the list. The first national coordinator (2004-06) left Washington because he wanted to be with his family in San Francisco. He’s currently running a $700 million equity investment firm and couldn’t possibly want to get back in... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570607 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 23:35:02 +0100 4570607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570547&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbehavior-vs-disease-a-new-way-to-look-at-health%2F2011.03.10 What is the leading cause of death in the United States? Heart disease? Cancer? No, it’s smoking. Smoking? Yes, depending on how you ask the question. In the early 90s, McGinnis and Foege turned the age-old question of what people die of on its head by asking not what diseases people die of but rather what the causes of these are. Instead of chalking up the death of an older man to say lung cancer, they sought to understand the proximate cause of death, which in the case of lung cancer is largely smoking. Using published data, the researchers performed a simple but profound calculation — they multiplied the mortality rates of leading diseases by the cause-attributable fraction, that proportion of a disease that can be attributed to a particular cause (for example, in lung can... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570547 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:00:06 +0100 4570547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4566304&cid=t_123908_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F08%2Fohio-state-university-reports-that-ovarian-cancer-drug-bevacizumab-is-not-cost-effective%2F An analysis conducted by Ohio State University cancer researchers found that adding the targeted therapy bevacizumab to the first-line treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer is not cost effective. An analysis conducted by Ohio State University cancer researchers found that adding the targeted therapy bevacizumab [Avastin®] to the first-line treatment of patients with advanced [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4566304 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:51:51 +0100 4566304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560388&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FYrKGAWy5afw%2F The policy journal Health Affairs has just put out a media advisory noting that the March issue, which comes out tomorrow, will have at least three articles devoted to health IT. From the advisory (verbatim): Studies on EHR: Neil Fleming and colleagues shed light on the financial and nonfinancial resources a small practice needs to implement an EHR system. Using data from  a physician network in north Texas, the authors estimate that the average cost to implement EHRs is $46,659 per physician. Use of EHRs will be accelerated because more than four in five office-based doctors are eligible for federal “meaningful use” incentives, says Brian Bruen of George Washington University and colleagues. Their analysis also highlights gaps in eligibility that must be addressed to further incre... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560388 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:49:09 +0100 4560388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560251&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLizuL3o0-Bs%2F By Michael F. CannonIn a column for Kaiser Health News, Michael L. Millenson, President of Health Quality Advisors LLC, laments that conservatives in the U.S. House are approaching ObamaCare like, well, conservatives.  He cites comments by unnamed House GOP staffers at a recent conference: The Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services? "An innovation center at CMS is an oxymoron," responded a  Republican aide..."Though it's great for PhDs who come to Washington on the government tab." There was also no reason the government should pay for "so-called comparative effectiveness research," another said. "Everything's on the chopping block," said yet another. No government-funded comparative-effectiveness research?  The horror!  For my money, those staffers (and... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560251 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 15:26:48 +0100 4560251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549778&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F04%2F15-quotes-that-motivate-and-inspire%2F I recently joined “The Psychology Network” on LinkedIn and have been enjoying the discussion among mental health professionals (since I’m not really one, but pretend to be all the time). Especially intriguing was the discussion thread called “What are some of your favorite quotes that have motivated and inspired you?” They are quotes that they share with patients or with each other, or that they just think are cool and sound good. Here are just 15 from the 70 or so responses: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” –Hilary Cooper “If you can keep your wits about you while others are losing theirs and blaming you, the world will be yours.” –Rudyard Kipling “Give a man a fish and you fe... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549778 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:35:15 +0100 4549778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549754&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedicaid-will-the-cost-of-expanding-eligibility-be-overwhelming%2F2011.03.04 Medicaid has been front and center this week as President Obama addressed the National Governors Association, and several governors testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Obama told the governors that he supports the Wyden-Brown bill, which would accelerate the availability of waivers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), so that states would not have to first create health insurance exchanges under the law, and then have the right to dismantle them and replace them with other mechanisms to achieve coverage goals of the law without additional cost to the federales. (See Wyden-Brown fact sheet.) The sponsors’ home states, Oregon and Massachusetts would otherwise have to dismantle parts of their own health reform efforts in order to align with the federal mandates... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549754 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:00:45 +0100 4549754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544968&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fchronic-fatigue-syndrome-can-psychotherapy-and-exercise-help%2F2011.03.03 [Recently] in The New York Times, David Tuller [wrote] about a study published in The Lancet that shows that psychotherapy is an effective treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome. In his article ”Psychotherapy Eases Chronic Fatigue, Study Shows,” Tuller writes: The new study, conducted at clinics in Britain and financed by that country’s government, is expected to lend ammunition to those who think the disease is primarily psychological or related to stress. The authors note that the goal of cognitive behavioral therapy, the type of psychotherapy tested in the study, is to change the psychological factors “assumed to be responsible for perpetuation of the participant’s symptoms and disability.” In the long-awaited study, patients who were randomly assigned to receive c... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544968 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:00:00 +0100 4544968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544971&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcancer-and-science-based-medicine-skepticism-vs-nihilism%2F2011.03.03 Last Friday, Mark Crislip posted an excellent deconstruction of a very disappointing article that appeared in the most recent issue of Skeptical Inquirer (SI), the flagship publication of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI). I say “disappointing,” because I was disappointed to see SI publish such a biased, poorly thought out article, apparently for the sake of controversy. I’m a subscriber myself, and in general enjoy reading the magazine, although of late I must admit that I don’t always read each issue cover to cover the way I used to do. Between work, grant writing, blogging, and other activities, my outside reading, even of publications I like, has declined. Perhaps SI will soon find itself off my reading list. Be that as it may, I couldn’t miss the article that so irr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544971 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:00:03 +0100 4544971 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540566&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbook-review-steeped-in-blood-the-life-and-times-of-a-forensic-scientist%2F2011.03.02 This post is a bit of a diversion from my usual posts, but I think it may still be worthwhile. You see, I want to promote a book. I’ve just read the book, “Steeped in Blood: The Life and Times of a Forensic Scientist“ by David Klatzow. What a stunning book. It really gives insight into the South Africa of old and possibly what South Africa of future may end up being like. I suggest that everyone get ahold of it and read it. However, David, I do feel I must challenge you on one point. Towards the end of your book, you say one of your surgeon friends told you a story of one of our Cuban import surgeons who tried to do a tonsillectomy through the neck rather than through the mouth, the normal way of doing it. I know this story and have heard it often myself in the cor... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540566 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:00:00 +0100 4540566 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4525053&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F26%2F10-forms-of-twisted-thinking%2F Both David Burns (bestselling author of Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy and Abraham Low (founder of Recovery, Inc.) teach techniques to analyze negative thoughts (or identify distorted thinking — what psychologists call “cognitive distortions”) so to be able to disarm and defeat them. Since Low’s language is a bit out-dated, I list below Burns’ “Ten Forms of Twisted Thinking,” (adapted from his “Feeling Good” book, a classic read) categories of dangerous ruminations, that when identified and brought into your consciousness, lose their power over you. 1. All-or-nothing thinking (a.k.a. my brain and the Vatican’s): You look at things in absolute, black-and-white categories. 2. Overgeneralization (also a favorite): You view a nega... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525053 Sat, 26 Feb 2011 18:17:59 +0100 4525053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522286&cid=t_123908_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fc4iwc7RTeus%2F Two years ago, Pfizer trumpted a deal in which Aurobindo, a large supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients that is based in India, would make a few dozen generic meds for the brand-name drugmaker. The move was part of a grand plan to expand into generics with lower manufacturing costs and revive growth as patents on big-selling, brand-name meds began expiring. “These agreements represent solid, measurable progress, and a strong commitment to achieve our growth objectives,” said David Simmons, who heads the drugmaker’s emerging markets and established products units, in a statement. Established products is a Pfizer euphemism for generics and branded generics. “We will dramatically change Pfizer’s Established Products portfolio to an engine of positive growth.” Since... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522286 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:51:21 +0100 4522286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522095&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FG6iAbe5Zn8w%2F By Michael F. CannonIn 2006, then-Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R) fought for and enacted a health care law now known as RomneyCare -- though the law is so nearly identical to ObamaCare that one could call it ObamaCare 1.0.  Romney is seeking the GOP nomination for president in 2012.  But since 84 percent of Republicans want ObamaCare repealed, the fact that he paved the way for ObamaCare is causing problems for Romney among the party faithful.  The most recent manifestation came in the form of a tongue-lashing from former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R), whose book criticizes Romney both for enacting RomneyCare and for refusing to admit it was mistake.  In a recent interview, Huckabee said: The position he should take is to say: "Look, the reason Obamacare won't work is bec... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522095 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:16:59 +0100 4522095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517348&cid=t_123908_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FAJ7zOt5EZJc%2F After six years working for Eli Lilly, most recently as vp of neuroscience drug discovery and clinical, David Bredt has resigned unexpectedly and has not given any indication - at least, publicly - what he will be doing next. His last day will be tomorrow, and a search for a successor is now under way. His departure comes after the drugmaker suffered setbacks in Alzheimer’s - work was halted on last summer on a compound after patients in trials were worsening. And an FDA panel voted not to recommend approval of the Amyvid imaging agent, but would endorse the drug if Lilly develops training for clinicians so that brain scans are interpreted correctly. The move is significant, given the pipeline issues Lilly faces as patent expirations loom on such big sellers. A Lilly spokeswoman not... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517348 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:16:13 +0100 4517348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517351&cid=t_123908_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FeCteA-oUlxo%2F NaniRx Therapeutics, a venture-backed drugmaker that is using proprietary technology to develop treatments for breast cancer and autoimmune disorders, has filed a lawsuit against its former ceo, because he allegedly breached his employment agreement after taking important company research data and canceling a potential partnership meeting with Bristol-Myers Squibb, among other things. David I. Cohen, who was a former co-chair of the National Institutes of Health’s HIV vaccine development committee before joining NaniRx as ceo three years ago (bio here), allegedly undermined the start up’s research efforts in various ways that NaniRx charges is causing irreparable harm, according to the lawsuit filed in New York Superior Court (read here). For instance, the lawsuit claims that ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517351 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:57:52 +0100 4517351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540612&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F5OLZ-GMuEHw%2F I just ran into Dr. Robert Kolodner at the HIMSS conference. As you know, Kolodner was the second national coordinator for health IT, serving from 2006 to 2009. While he doesn’t have any insight on who might be the next head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology—or if he does, he’s not sharing—he did put the decision into perspective. The first coordinator, Dr. David Brailer, was kind of the entrepreneur, starting up the office with little money and no statutory authority, just what President George W. Bush delegated to him in an executive order. Kolodner was the one who “made it real” in terms of hiring permanent staff and setting up programs to assure the long-term viability of the office. The current coordinator, Dr. Davi... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540612 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:53:09 +0100 4540612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501760&cid=t_123908_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F20%2Ftwo-beatles-albums-from-itunes-stir-assorted-memories%2F David Letterman, noting Yoko Ono’s 78th birthday last week, joked that she celebrated by breaking up The Jonas Brothers. Back in the twilight of sixties, perhaps early seventies, a much-appreciated Christmas gift (namely for my older brother Craig but which the rest of us took full advantage of) was a record player. Not just any [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501760 Sun, 20 Feb 2011 10:00:16 +0100 4501760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4498276&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fibm-watson-could-revolutionize-healthcare%2F2011.02.19 If you’ve been watching Jeopardy! over the past couple days, you probably know that IBM’s highly-advanced artificial intelligence software, Watson, has been competing against Jeopardy!’s most successful contestants (and as of Tuesday night, took a commanding lead over the humans, despite having some trouble with United States geography). Besides the amazing ability to power through “Daily Doubles” and answer random trivia in the form of a question, IBM researchers believe that Watson could revolutionize the healthcare industry. From diagnostics to informatics, Watson could quickly search through medical records, clinical documents, and research information for precise answers that would benefit both doctors and patients. Check out the video below to see physic... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4498276 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 14:00:16 +0100 4498276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495149&cid=t_123908_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fstudy-shows-emotional-state-influence-orthopedic-surgery-outcomes%2F New research being presented this week at a major orthopedic surgery meeting is suggesting that a patient’s emotional state at the time of surgery may influence outcomes for some orthopedic procedures, such as knee replacements, according to Dr. David Ayers of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495149 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 03:45:22 +0100 4495149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495267&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftraffic.libsyn.com%2Fnversel%2FSteve_Lieber_-_HIMSS11.MP3 The 2011 HIMSS conference gets underway this weekend in Orlando, Fla. For the fifth year in a row, I interviewed HIMSS President and CEO H. Steven Lieber to preview the annual conference. Check Health Data Management’s HIMSS microsite now and MobiHealthNews next week for write-ups of parts of this interview, but this is the only place you can hear the whole thing. The audio is pretty clear, but you may hear faint music in the background. The recorder seems to have picked up some radio interference. That’s not entirely unexpected in a downtown Chicago office building, namely HIMSS headquarters at 230 E. Ohio St. Ah, well. Enjoy the podcast, and I’ll see you in Orlando. Podcast details: Interview with HIMSS CEO Steve Lieber. MP3, stereo, 128 kbps, 30.6 MB. Running time 33:26 0... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495267 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:50:17 +0100 4495267 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482740&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtfgalpOarHY%2F By Jim HarperIt's a good thing for Congress to have an open debate on the bill that would fund the government from March 4th through the September 30 end of the 2011 fiscal year. The alternative is for the bill to be written and the political log-rolling to be done entirely behind the scenes. Open debate of the bill and amendments requires at least some level of discussion about various projects and programs rather than spending decisions being based solely on raw political power. And it gives the public some chance to have a say. The debate may include an amendment to strip funding from the REAL ID Act, our deplorable national ID law. As I wrote here before, money spent on REAL ID is waste. That money should be put to better uses, including deficit reduction. No future money should go to ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482740 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:19:31 +0100 4482740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482825&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F15%2Fthe-psychology-of-advertising%2F How often have you seen a teeth-whitening ad that shows the person with bright, white teeth as more attractive — sexier even? Or viewed an ad for a green cleaning product that made you fearful that using a chemical product would harm your kids? Or just think of any product — diet food, skin care, insurance company, car, medication — that features celebrity testimonials or the words of other consumers who’ve achieved “incredible results.” For these common advertising ploys, you can thank John B. Watson, the founder of behaviorism here in America. After getting fired from his academic post at Johns Hopkins, Watson began working for one of the biggest advertising agencies in New York City, J. Walter Thompson. (He was dismissed for his scandalous divorce. Short story: He fell in lo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482825 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 01:00:37 +0100 4482825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477761&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmeasuring-the-patient-experience%2F2011.02.15 There’s a growing recognition within the medical-industrial complex that the patient is a key element of the enterprise, and that patient satisfaction, patient experience, patient engagement, patient activation, and patient-centeredness are very important. Some research shows that patient activation yields better patient outcomes, and that patient activation can be measured. Patient-centeredness and patient engagement are two of the key metrics to be used by the feds in describing Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), if the internecine battles within government are resolved soon enough to actually release draft ACO regulations in time to allow for sufficient advance planning for the January 2012 go-live date. (Wearing one of my many hats, I’ve had the opportunity to submit ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477761 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:00:44 +0100 4477761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477859&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FjE0h7Xrkccg%2Fblumenthal-will-return-to-harvard-in.html According to former U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger (R-Minn.), national health IT coordinator Dr. David Blumenthal will return to Harvard in April, and Blumenthal, as has been widely rumored, is leaving to keep his tenure.So far, Blumenthal and HHS have been saying he would leave his current post at an unspecified point in the spring. But, as Durenberger writes in his weekly commentary about health policy, "David told me he was planning an April return to Harvard when his two year leave to serve the new administration is up. ... David's departure to keep his tenure at Harvard apparently came as a surprise in D.C. where he'd become widely respected for aligning the Office of National Coordinator with the 'meaningful use' of health IT."Durenberger also notes that Blumenthal is the brother of Sen.... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477859 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:46:41 +0100 4477859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455467&cid=t_123908_147_f&fid=39273&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FlEwTpWE0ZOg%2Fepharma-summit-2011-consumer-health-and.html KEYNOTE: What's New, What's Coming and How it Will Change Everything David Pogue, The New York Times, CBS News Pogue’s presentation begins with a simple question: can the iPhone save your life? Yes, it in fact can. It’s a greater object than the middle line between a cell phone and a cell phone. The iPhone is a new category of electronics (does your laptop have a compass?)What are the coolest medical apps Pogue has to show us?For patients:Jet Lag Rx – Develops eating, sleeping regiment to avoid jet laguHear – Instant hearing aidSoundAMPLoseIt! – keeps people constantly thinking about weight loss, it’s funFor doctors:Osirex – tap in to hospital database to see scans wherever you are. Epocrates – database of drugs, includes interactions, pill identifier – different levels a... ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455467 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:31:00 +0100 4455467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455015&cid=t_123908_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftraffic.libsyn.com%2Ftwiv%2FTWiV119.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and David Tuller On episode #119 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent and journalist David Tuller converse about the state of science reporting by the press. Right click to download TWiV #119 (43 MB .mp3, 60 minutes). Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, or by email, or listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app. Links for this episode: The four XMRV papers in Retrovirology (one, two, three, four) and a commentary David’s recent coverage of ME/CFS in the NY Times (July 2010, August 2010, January 2011) MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus): The press’ mea culpa TWiV on Facebook Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@twiv.tv. You can also p... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455015 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 18:38:05 +0100 4455015 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4438881&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fharsh-farewell-to-david-blumenthal-of_4184.html Well, from me actually, but she agrees with my assessment.I believe one unfortunate "legacy" of Blumenthal's tenure is the near total absence of consideration of HIT risk.Risk to patient life and limb.As I wrote here, the PCAST report itself reflects the same systematic Pollyanna attitude.My comments about the PCAST report are simple and twofold:1. The term "risk" is absent from the PCAST report in the context of risk to patients from clinical IT. Instead, the context is largely about the risk to patients of NOT having health IT.2. The term "safety" is similarly absent in the context of adverse effects of HIT, and only present in the context of how HIT will improve safety, except for one reference (indeed, the match to my search for the term "safety" was in the cited URL itself) ...... I... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4438881 Sat, 05 Feb 2011 00:11:00 +0100 4438881 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436717&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fharsh-farewell-to-david-blumenthal-of_4184.html Well, from me actually, but she agrees with my assessment.I believe one unfortunate "legacy" of Blumenthal's tenure is the near total absence of consideration of HIT risk.Risk to patient life and limb.As I wrote here, the PCAST report itself reflects the same systematic Pollyanna attitude.My comments about the PCAST report are simple and twofold:1. The term "risk" is absent from the PCAST report in the context of risk to patients from clinical IT. Instead, the context is largely about the risk to patients of NOT having health IT.2. The term "safety" is similarly absent in the context of adverse effects of HIT, and only present in the context of how HIT will improve safety, except for one reference (indeed, the match to my search for the term "safety" was in the cited URL itself) ...... I... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436717 Sat, 05 Feb 2011 00:11:00 +0100 4436717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433058&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fdavid-blumenthal-to-resign-as-director.html From NextGov.com - TECHNOLOGY AND THE BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT Blumenthal Calls It Quits By John Pulley, March 3, 2011 Dr. David Blumenthal, who has pushed the country's health care providers to give up paper files in favor of electronic medical records, announced Thursday that he is stepping down as the country's de facto health IT czar after almost two years on the job. He will return to Harvard University, according to news reports. Blumenthal served as National Coordinator for Health IT during a period of tremendous change. In 2009, Congress allocated billions of dollars to expand the Office of the National Coordinator's authority and to make available incentive funds intended to encourage mass adoption of electronic medical records. The first of those incentives payments were di... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433058 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:12:00 +0100 4433058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433159&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2F2011-predictions-mu-goes-tactical-aco-strategic In the Healthcare IT (HIT) market, 2010 was the year of meaningful use (MU). Healthcare organizations (HCOs) of all sizes developed plans, began making IT modifications and began adopting the technology they needed to meet Stage One MU requirements and subsequently receive incentive payments, some of which began being disbursed in late 2010. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433159 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:53:35 +0100 4433159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433327&cid=t_123908_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F_o_hE3aHJP4%2F For the past few months, a billboard campaign promoting the Allergan Lap Band surgical device for gastric binding - a way to lose weight - has caused a controversy in Southern California over concerns that risks are not disclosed sufficiently. The Los Angeles County public health director, in fact, wrote the FDA to ask for an investigation, prompting some negative publicity (read the letter). The billboards are actually sponsored by a marketing firm on behalf of doctors and clinics, which are, essentially, Allergan customers. The company, of course, benefits from this sort of exposure, yet initially did not appear to go out of its way to disavow the campaign. An Allergan spokeswoman told The Los Angeles Times the ads could not be regulated, because they are not Allergan ads, although a let... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433327 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:07:04 +0100 4433327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4429019&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-dietary-guidelines-offer-little-new-guidance%2F2011.02.02 There isn’t much new in the latest iteration of the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” Three years in the making, the 2010 guidelines (released a tad late, on January 31, 2011) offer the usual advice about eating less of the bad stuff (salt; saturated fat, trans fats, and cholesterol; and refined grains) and more of the good stuff (fruits and vegetables; whole grains; seafood, beans, and other lean protein; and unsaturated fats). I’ve listed the 23 main recommendations below. You can also find them on the “Dietary Guidelines” website. The guidelines do break some new ground. They state loudly and clearly that overweight and obesity are a leading nutrition problem in the United States, and that a healthy diet can help people achieve a healthy weight. They also r... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4429019 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:00:27 +0100 4429019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4424300&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FNfqJ8rWZReQ%2F The other day I came across an interview with David Blumenthal. I didn’t find anything all that meaningful in the interview itself. However, in the comments, someone provided some really interesting commentary on what Blumenthal said in the interview. Dr. Blumenthal says we need operability before we move to interoperability. Yet if you don’t design your systems from the start to interoperate, you’ll inevitably wind up with operable systems that do not interoperate – at all. Having accomplished this, we’ll then have to develop and impose an after-the-fact standard to which all systems must comply. This will mean redesign, retrofit, and plastering all kinds of middleware layers between disparate systems. It may even result in retraining tomorrow all those provi... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4424300 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:12:03 +0100 4424300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4424238&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F02%2F01%2Ffearful-uk-healthcare-workers-refuse-flu-vaccine-us-nurse-fired%2F The side effects of the flu vaccine have been causing many UK healthcare workers to question its safety. The latest figures show the uptake for the vaccine has been as low as 26%. Professor David Salisbury, director of immunization, told Nursing Times that the healthcare professionals were making a big mistake and risked not only their own lives, but the lives of their patients. (http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice…) Salisbury, a firm believer in vaccines, represents the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunizations as the Medical Secretary for the Department of Health. The JCVI is an independent expert advisory committee that advises Ministers on matters relating to the provision of vaccination and immunisation services. This means that Professor Salisbury would have ful... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4424238 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:57:17 +0100 4424238 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399685&cid=t_123908_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FcdF4NAdYPY4%2F Charles and David Koch of Koch Industries MIT-trained brothers turned family oil refining firm into America’s second largest private company. Koch Industries has stakes in pipelines, refineries, fertilizer, fibers and polymers, forest and consumer products, chemical technology. Sales in 2008: $110 billion. Brothers each own 42% of company. Employs 80,000 people and operates in 60 countries. Looks like the LEFT Counter-Movement has returned to Southern California to Saul Alinsky protest conservative/libertarian activists Charles and David Koch. A broad coalition of consumer, community, labor, environmental, student, civil liberties, and faith-based groups are sponsoring a rally in Rancho Mirage (near Palm Springs, California) next Sunday, January 30 to protest and draw attention to a ... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399685 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:31:27 +0100 4399685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399625&cid=t_123908_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvideos.videopress.com%2FzuvKSodR%2Fjudge-rules-white-girl-will-be-tried-as-black-adul-flv_dvd.mp4 On Friday, I took in the new Philadelphia Theater Company production of David Mamet’s Race.  The plot revolves around two lawyers, one white and one black, who take on the defense of a wealthy white man accused of raping a young black woman. The acting was quite good and the play has its moments (as one would expect, the structure is ingenious and Mamet throws in a number of memorable lines), but I was left wondering whether the playwright had challenged the audience enough.  If the purpose was to spur viewers to think deeply about race, was the exchange of quick, witty quips between characters the best means?  Mamet seemed to want to shock his audience, but what he produced seemed fairly tame — and enjoyable. Today, I came across a video on the Onion addressing a very simil... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399625 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 04:01:17 +0100 4399625 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377553&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FSpor47AZ96U%2F By Caleb O. BrownThe Michigan Supreme Court yesterday heard a case involving Dr. Dre, Eminem and the importance of being able to record cops on duty (h/t Radley Balko): The court plans to hear arguments today in a lawsuit by a Detroit councilman and others who say they were illegally videotaped backstage at a 2000 concert at Joe Louis Arena. Gary Brown was a police official at the time. He warned concert organizers that power would be turned off if they showed a sexually explicit video. The confrontation was taped and later included in a DVD of the “Up In Smoke” tour, featuring Eminem and others. Brown says his privacy was violated by the video. Dr. Dre lawyer Herschel Fink says there’s no privacy when police are doing their job. Dr. Dre is a defendant but won’t be ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377553 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:36:21 +0100 4377553 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372213&cid=t_123908_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F19%2Flibbys-hope%25e2%2584%25a2-proudly-announces-a-strategic-partnership-with-womens-oncology-research-dialogue%2F It is our privilege and honor to announce a strategic partnership between Libby’s H*O*P*E*™ and Women’s Oncology Research & Dialogue. It is our privilege and honor to announce a strategic partnership between Libby’s H*O*P*E*™ (LH) and Women’s Oncology Research & Dialogue (WORD). WORD’s overarching mission is to raise gynecologic cancer awareness and fund related scientific [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372213 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 01:22:53 +0100 4372213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394517&cid=t_123908_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Feven-more-science-news.html Science news snippets from the net meanderings of David Bradley Sir David King on climate change – King said, “We hear enough from the climate change skeptics that I have to repeat some fundamentals that you’ve probably heard before.” Fifty-five million years ago, atmospheric CO2 concentrations stood at about 1,000 ppm and global temperatures were much higher and ocean levels were about 110 m higher than they are today. Large mammals developed on Antarctica because the climatic conditions on all of the other continents were inhospitable to such development.<br /> <br /> In the past 500,000 years, every ice age was characterized by atmospheric CO2 concentrations around 200 ppm; every short interglacial period by concentrations around 285 ppm, which was a... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394517 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:00:06 +0100 4394517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349496&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-ayb1xioRpc%2F By David BoazAdvocates of limited government often worry about how to maintain republican government and freedom if a substantial portion of the population don’t pay taxes and are net beneficiaries of government largesse. Lately, it seems like a lot of the advocates of bigger government and higher taxes don’t pay their own taxes — like Tom Daschle, Timothy Geithner, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Charles Rangel, Al Franken, Governor David Paterson’s top aide, Democratic National Convention staffers, Al Sharpton, and so on. Now the Washington Post has found another one: Since joining the D.C. Council two years ago, Michael A. Brown has become the chief advocate for raising taxes on the city’s wealthiest residents, arguing that those who earn at least $250,000 a year ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349496 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:02:46 +0100 4349496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4343290&cid=t_123908_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2FPnQDlTl2ZeA%2F Image via Wikipedia Book club is tonight — I actually believe that I have not been to book club since A. S. Byatt‘s Possession was the topic, and that was right after it was published. 1990. Tonight’s subject: David Mitchell‘s The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. I am halfway through — had chosen to read it before Liz invited me back to book club two days ago. This is not a pastoral book, nor a post-modern item with all of the conflict bred out of it and putting fancy word-play above plot in importance. We have story, and we have characters. These are major compliments for me. Another compliment: I haven’t thrown it out yet. Jacob belongs to two worlds: Dutch and Japanese. He is exiled from one and can never belong to the other. Add to this some culture clash... white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4343290 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 23:31:42 +0100 4343290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337917&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGJo0LYB6W9A%2F By Walter OlsonIn Britain, the coalition government of David Cameron hopes to stimulate much-needed hiring by reducing state interference with private employers’ right to choose their own workforces. Per the Telegraph, Cameron “hopes that relaxed employment laws will help to boost the private sector and encourage firms to take on thousands of new workers.” For all the high hopes, the changes are in fact quite modest. Newly hired workers will wait two years, rather than one, before obtaining the power to challenge later firings before official tribunals. To discourage doomed or trivial claims, disgruntled workers will be charged a fee for resorting to a tribunal. The smallest employers will be exempted from some portions of the law, and so forth. Judged by the “emplo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337917 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:12:10 +0100 4337917 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331016&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffirst-report-from-the-society-of-participatory-medicines-newly-appointed-public-policy-committee-chair-david-harlow%2F2011.01.10 In December, the Society for Participatory Medicine’s executive committee appointed health law attorney David Harlow to represent the Society in public policy matters. Regular readers of HealthBlawg::David Harlow’s Health Care Law Blog know what a patient-centered, participatory thinker David is. This is his first report. I am delighted to offer my first report as Public Policy Committee Chair for the Society of Participatory Medicine. I encourage all of you who are not yet Society members to join, and I encourage new and old members to consider volunteering to help with the wide range of public policy issues facing us today. Over the past couple of months, the Public Policy Committee has gotten its sea legs. We are beginning to add the Society’s voice to the national discourse on p... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331016 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:00:15 +0100 4331016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318307&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FY7S7Cf-xYC4%2F By Ian VasquezNicholas Kristof provides “a useful reminder of the limitations of charity and foreign aid” in his New York Times op-ed about Haiti today. “Nearly a year after the earthquake in Haiti,” he notes, “more than one million people are still living in tents and reconstruction has barely begun.” He emphasizes the importance of “trade, not aid” and of the role of business: “It’s hard to think of a charitable project that will be as beneficial as the Coca-Cola Company’s decision to build up the mango juice industry in Haiti, supporting 25,000 farmers.” He also cites a seemingly successful microfinance aid project that lends money to poor women in Haiti to begin and expand business ventures by, for example, investing in livestock or growing fruit for sale. It is... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318307 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:09:45 +0100 4318307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4305106&cid=t_123908_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FIFTJm_-1GXw%2F Hello, everyone. Nice to see you again. We hope you had a pleasant respite and feel refreshed after the holiday break. Now, of course, the time has come to resume the routine, which means gearing up for those meetings and deadlines. As always, we have gathered a few items to help you along. Meanwhile, please join us for a much-needed cup of stimulation. Hope your day goes well… Inspire Pharma’s Cystic Fibrosis Drug Fails (Reuters) Elder Pharma Gets Japanese Approval For API Facility (Business Standard) J&J And MassGen Strike Deal For Testing Cancer Cells (Boston Globe) UK’s NICE May Back Avastin For Macular Degeneration (The Guardian) Roche Buys Marcadia And Its Obesity Compounds (BioWorld Today) Indian Pharmas Had Most ANDA Approvals (Business Standard) AstraZeneca&... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4305106 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:02:30 +0100 4305106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337542&cid=t_123908_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.rawvoice.com%2Fpmn_twiv%2Ftraffic.libsyn.com%2Ftwiv%2FTWiV114.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit On episode #114 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, and Rich revisit ten compelling virology stories of 2010. Right click to download TWiV #114 (64 MB .mp3, 88 minutes). Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, or by email, or listen on your mobile device with Stitcher Radio. Ten virology stories of 2010: XMRV, CFS, and prostate cancer (TWiV 113, 99, 98, 94, 89, 76, 70, 65) The ongoing saga of polio eradication (TWiV 110, 79) Viruses interact with the miRNA/siRNA system (TWiV 108, 72) Endogenous viruses – retro and beyond (TWiV 105, 91, 88, 65) Dengue virus progress and new outbreak (TWiV 111, 95, 82) Colony collapse disorder (TWiV 104) David Baltimore (TWiV 100) Ode... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337542 Sun, 02 Jan 2011 17:43:12 +0100 4337542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4302844&cid=t_123908_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fnorth-dakota-oral-surgeon-dr-david-sande-died-age-68%2F Dr. David Sande has died at age 68 of a stroke during his recovery from surgery for pancreatic cancer. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4302844 Sun, 02 Jan 2011 03:20:51 +0100 4302844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4300509&cid=t_123908_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F12%2Ftangier-island-physician-dr-david-nichols-dies-age-62%2F Dr. David B. Nichols, who spent his days off piloting a small plane or helicopter to Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay to serve the healthcare needs of the island’s residents,has died at age 62. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4300509 Fri, 31 Dec 2010 05:34:51 +0100 4300509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4300549&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fneed-an-ultrasound-there%25e2%2580%2599s-an-app-for-that%2F2010.12.30 Imagine walking into the room of a patient with ascites and pulling out your iPad (which you were just using to put in orders on another patient), pulling an ultrasound probe out of your pocket, connecting the two, and finding a fluid pocket from which to drain the abdominal fluid. We’ve already shown how iPad’s can be useful in the OR. Now they, along with other tablets and smartphones, can be applied to bedside diagnostics and therapeutics to enhance patient safety while reducing costs. It’s a pretty exciting prospect being put forth by an mHealth startup called Mobisante. And having won awards at an MIT Enterprise Forum as well as the Mobile Health Expo, others certainly seem to buying in as well. Mobisante, an mHealth company based in Redmond, WA, has recently been showing a new ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4300549 Thu, 30 Dec 2010 20:00:02 +0100 4300549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4300536&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FP0jnolxotBg%2F By Ian VasquezMexico ends 2010 with 15,000 illicit drug-related murders for the year—a record for the Calderon administration that began its term four years ago by declaring an all-out war on drug trafficking. Drug war violence skyrocketed since Calderon took office, claiming more than 30,000 lives. Though it is an unwinnable war whose consequences also include the rise of corruption and the weakening of the institutions of civil society, it is being used by drug warriors and skeptics alike to push for pet projects ranging from increased development aid to more military cooperation. A recent example comes from the Washington Post this week. It editorialized in favor of an Obama administration plan to stem the flow of arms to Mexico, and it ran a story the same day citing the claim that ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4300536 Thu, 30 Dec 2010 19:06:01 +0100 4300536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4298695&cid=t_123908_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Faffirming-flexibilitywith-certified-ehr-systems On our FAQ page, we posted a revised Question and Answer regarding an issue that has recently caused confusion in our meaningful use regulations: namely, the flexibility that providers have to defer performance on some Stage 1 meaningful use objectives; and how that squares with the requirement that providers must nonetheless possess fully-certified EHR systems.  (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4298695 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:17:15 +0100 4298695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277860&cid=t_123908_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fdoctors-gods-knights-knaves-or-pawns.html Like all professionals, doctors have a certain image about themselves . Similarly, patients have expectations of their doctors and expect them to conform to their mental model of how a doctor should behave.Life was much easier in the past when both patients and doctors expected doctors to behave as demi-Gods. The doctor was a shaman who was considered to be a healer who had been inspired by divine powers which he could use to help the sick to get better.In modern society, however, things have changed considerably; and few patients will treat their doctors as God-like figures ( and I feel most doctors would also be very uncomfortable in this role !)What roles do doctors adopt today ? These are primarily three, as articulated so well by the British economist, Julian Le Grand. We perceive doc... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277860 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 05:13:00 +0100 4277860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253095&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2010%2F12%2Ffacebook-saves-womans-life-newt-gingrich-and-reality-based-healthcare-systems-planning.html By DAVID HARLOW I've seen at least half a dozen links to the op-ed coauthored by Newt Gingrich and neurosurgeon Kamal Thapar about how the doctor used information on Facebook to save a woman's life. (It was published by AOL... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253095 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4253095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4249056&cid=t_123908_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnewt-gingrichs-take-on-facebook-saving-a-womans-life%2F2010.12.10 I’ve seen at least half a dozen links to the op-ed coauthored by Newt Gingrich and neurosurgeon Kamal Thapar about how the doctor used information on Facebook to save a woman’s life. (It was published by AOL News. Really.) In brief, a woman who had been to see a number of different health care providers without getting a clear diagnosis showed up in an emergency room, went into a coma and nearly died. She was saved by a doctor’s review of the detailed notes she kept about her symptoms, etc., which she posted on Facebook. The story is vague on the details, but apparently her son facilitated getting the doc access to her Facebook page, and the details posted there allowed him to diagnose and treat her condition. She recovered fully. Newt and Dr. Thapar wax rhapsodic about... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4249056 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 23:00:54 +0100 4249056